Guitar Guide

This page will help you find the right guitar for your child.

We try to highlight the best in guitars and related equipment, hoping to keep you up-to-date on where you can find the best “bang for your buck” gear on the market. Many of our recommendations are available through Sweetwater Sound (Sweetwater.com), a professional and customer-oriented source for musical instruments. Sweetwater carries our favorite “short scale” guitars that work great for younger kids, as well as full size guitars that work better for older kids and adults.

Ages 7-10

¾ size Electric Guitar

This is a good electric guitar option for a child because it is easy to hold and easy to play. This guitar is very cool looking and available in both red and pink. (Note: A guitar amp & cable are required for electric guitars.)

¾ size Nylon String Acoustic Guitar

This is a good acoustic guitar option for a child since it is smaller than a full size acoustic guitar which is usually too big for most children to comfortably hold. This guitar also has nylon strings which are easy on the fingers.

Ages 11 and up

Full Size Electric Guitar

A full size electric guitar is a good size for older kids, and this Squier Bullet Strat is a favorite guitar for many beginner guitarists. ( Note: A guitar amp & cable are required for electric guitars.)

Full Size Acoustic Guitar

This type of guitar is a good size for older children and adults.
​This guitar has steel strings which make it better suited to older students with more hand strength.

Guitar Amplifier and Cable

A guitar amplifier and cable are required when using electric guitars. The guitar “amp” amplifies the sound produced by the guitar, enabling a guitarist to adjust the volume when performing. As an option, a guitarist can plug a set of head phones into the amp to practice quietly. Fortunately, there are several good quality, low-cost amps available. As a result, an electric guitar system is usually not much more expensive than an acoustic guitar.

A guitar cable, generally an inexpensive and durable item, must be used to plug an electric guitar into an amplifier. There are multiple lengths to choose from, and we recommend a length of 5 feet or more.

Guitar Amplifier

An amplifier and cable are required for all electric guitars. This light weight (8.5 pound) practice amplifier is all that is necessary. There is an auxiliary input jack for jam-along with Media Player or CD, and an output jack for silent practice.